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Sunday, October 19, 2025
Image: Tangopaso.
Image: Wouter Engler.
The Louvre Museum in Paris closed on Sunday after four thieves stole eight valuable pieces of jewelry from the premises during the mid-morning hours of the day.[SOURCE, SOURCE] BBC reported that diadems, necklaces, earrings and brooches were among the items taken. The items were among the French Crown Jewels. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, a ninth item was retrieved at the scene.
Power tools were involved. Video evidence showed that a vehicle-mounted ladder was used to get in through a window, as well as a battery-powered disc cutter that was used to bypass a glass obstruction. The thieves gained access to the Galerie d’Apollon by threatening the museum’s guards, who vacated the premises upon being intercepted. A state of panic ensued among the museum’s visitors, who were present during the robbery.
The thieves unsuccessfully attempted to incinerate their vehicle, but they were thwarted by a museum employee. They reportedly escaped on high-powered scooters. Other sources indicated that the getaway vehicles were motorcycles.
Art detective Arthur Brand said it was a “race against time” before the stolen jewels are melted down. He was quoted as follows in a statement to Sky News: “These crown jewels are so famous, you just cannot sell them. The only thing they can do is melt the silver and gold down, dismantle the diamonds, try to cut them. That’s the way they will probably disappear forever. […] They [the police] have a week. If they catch the thieves, the stuff might still be there. If it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled. It’s a race against time.”
No injuries were reported in the incident. Culture Minister Rachida Dati assessed the behavior of the thieves as “very professional” in a statement to French media, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that the heist was over within a matter of minutes.
French justice minister Gerard Darmanin blamed the loss of the jewelry on the nation’s security forces. He said: “There are many museums in Paris, many museums in France, with priceless values in these museums. What is certain is that we failed. The French people all feel like they’ve been robbed.”
The incident remains under investigation. The museum remained closed to the public on Tuesday.
